Every year in New Jersey, 341,000 tons of prepared food goes to waste, while 994,800 New Jersey residents don’t have enough food to eat. Share My Meals is closing the gap between food waste and hunger by mobilizing volunteers to recover nutritious surplus meals from commercial kitchens and deliver them to local nonprofits that support individuals in need.
About the opportunity: Share My Meals is looking for dedicated volunteers to pick up meal donations from our various generous local donors on weekdays ranging from early morning to early afternoon, and deliver to our hub in Princeton. Meal recovery routes typically take 30 to 60 minutes roundtrip.
Home Delivery: We are also looking for volunteers to deliver recovered food from our Princeton hub to the homes of individuals in need on weekdays from 4-5:30pm and on Saturday afternoons. Home delivery routes typically take 60-90 minutes to complete.
In order to adhere to food safety guidelines, Share My Meals provides all necessary equipment (i.e. insulated bags) to transport food donations safely and requires volunteers to track pick-up and delivery route start and end times using our smart phone app.
Volunteer Requirements:
Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Parents may volunteer with their children.
Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license.
Volunteers must provide their own transportation and have the necessary auto insurance (minimum of $300,000 Single Limit or $100,000/$300,000 Split Limit auto liability limits).
Volunteers must have a smartphone with the ability to download our food donation tracking app.
Volunteers must complete Share My Meals onboarding and training before volunteering.
Please note: This is not a one-time volunteer opportunity; we are looking for volunteers who are available to regularly support the meal delivery program.
Sources: https://insights-engine.refed.org/food-waste-monitor?break_by=food_type&indicator=tons-waste&state=NJ&view=detail&year=2023; https://www-doh.nj.gov/doh-shad/indicator/summary/FoodInsecurity.html#:~:text=The USDA estimates that in,New Jersey were food insecure.
